Millions burned, underwhelming turnout: PNC’s “historic” rally falls flat at just 13,000 out of 60,000

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has acknowledged that only 13,000 members attended the main ruling People’s National Congress’s (PNC) mass gathering at Artificial Beach on Friday night, despite the party having over 60,000 registered members.

The turnout has drawn scrutiny, as the event reportedly cost millions of Maldivian Rufiyaa and relied heavily on resources from government institutions and state-owned companies to transport participants from across the Maldives.

In his opening remarks, the president described the gathering as the largest political gathering in Maldivian history in terms of attendance. However, the 13,000 figure he provided falls far short of expectations previously set by PNC senior officials.

Some senior party officials, representing a membership roll that reportedly reached 60,000 through major corruption at the Department of National Registration (DNR), had predicted that at least 15,000 people would participate. The notably lower turnout is widely viewed by political observers as a significant failure for the party.

The government made unprecedented efforts to boost attendance, deploying resources from government institutions and state-owned enterprises in a manner not seen before for a partisan event.

Critics have highlighted that these resources were improperly used to transport people from various regions specifically for the gathering.

PNC leaders had previously emphasized that several million Rufiyaa would be spent on the event. MP for Meedhoo constituency Abdul Rahman, stated that MVR 50 million had been allocated, describing the budget as effectively unlimited and intended to create an impressive turnout.

Despite this “unlimited budget,” only 13,000 attendees were recorded out of 60,000 members, raising questions about the level of genuine support within the party. The turnout indicates that only a small fraction of PNC members were willing to participate, even with extensive logistical efforts and significant financial expenditure.

With the Maldivian economy in decline and citizens facing rising living costs, many are questioning how the ruling party financed such an extravagant gathering. Legal experts have also raised concerns about the use of taxpayer-funded government institutions and state-owned companies to support a political event.

The government reportedly incurred substantial costs to transport participants, including arranging special ferries, speedboats, and flights for individuals from various islands.

Complaints have also surfaced regarding government employees being pressured to attend. Many of those present were reportedly individuals who oppose the party’s policies but felt compelled to participate out of fear of losing their jobs.

The outcome of the gathering highlights a lack of confidence in the PNC leadership, even among its own membership. Despite spending millions of Rufiyaa and making extensive use of government resources, the party failed to attract a turnout proportionate to its claimed membership, marking what many observers consider a clear political setback for the ruling party.